


Message in a Bottle

by machine_dove



Series: Merman Sam [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-17
Updated: 2016-10-17
Packaged: 2018-08-23 00:27:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8306834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/machine_dove/pseuds/machine_dove
Summary: Captain America can't stay lost forever.





	

“Look Cheese, I need your support on this.  I don’t know why SHIELD was picked for these negotiations, but there’s more going on than I’m being told and I need your eyes on this.”  Nick Fury took a deep breath, centering himself and trying to stop speculating ahead of any hard data.

“Of course,” Coulson said with a rare, genuine smile.  In their line of work real friendship was rare, but they had known each other when they were both still simple soldiers, and that kind of bond was lasting.

“This guy has...a reputation.  I know you know, but I’m just going to say it again.  Don’t respond to any of his provocation, do not give him an opening, and don’t even talk to him unless he says something directly to you.”  He was a spy, dammit, not a diplomat.  This whole thing smelled -- Fury felt like he had to give himself some credit for not going with the obvious joke there.  “Keep your eyes open, I need you to see everything.  We can’t afford to fuck this up.”

Phil straightened the cuffs on his suit, not that they needed it.  “The King of Atlantis.  You’re moving in rarified circles these days.”

Fury laughed, a harsh bark of a sound.  “I’m pretty sure that this is the WSC getting back at me for that the incident in Madripoor, so that when things go off the rails they have a convenient scapegoat.”

“I’ve got your back,” Phil said as they made their way to the conference room.

“You always do,” Fury agreed.

There was just one man in the room, silhouetted against the bank of windows that looked out over the Atlantic, dressed in nothing but a pair of briefs and a vest. It was amazing what you could get away with when you were the supreme ruler of seventy percent of the planet.   


“Your majesty,” Fury said in a tone that would have been called deferential only by someone who hadn’t heard it.

“You are late.  I am the King of Atlantis, my time is far too valuable to be wasted on waiting.”  Namor turned around, effortlessly commanding in a way that Fury was already planning on studying later.  The king started to continue but stopped, attention suddenly captured by something.  He gestured to Phil’s tie.  “That.  I have seen it before.  Tell me what it means.”

Phil’s eyes lit up at the chance to talk about his favorite subject.  “This was the symbol of our greatest hero, the man called Captain America.  He carried a shield decorated with this symbol, the very shield that our organization --”

“Yes.”  Namor cut him off with vague gesture.  “Him.  That’s why it’s familiar, I know him.  I suppose he is less hateful than most of you landfolk.” 

Phil coughed politely.  “I’m sorry, your majesty, but you can’t possibly know him.  I’m afraid he’s been dead for almost seventy years.”

“You  _ dare _ tell Namor, King of Atlantis, what he can and cannot do?  Pah, you are all ignorant dirt crawlers.  This Steve has been distracting a former member of my personal guard for decades, but he has some small skill with kelp cultivation so I have allowed it.”

To the untrained eye, Phil Coulson looked as calm and unruffled as he always did, but Nick could tell that if anything happened in the next five minutes, he’d have to handle it on his own, because Phil was in the midst of a total and complete breakdown.  Neither of them had missed that Namor referred to Captain America by name, something Phil hadn’t mentioned.  It was impossible, completely impossible, but if running SHIELD had taught him one thing it was that impossible was a much more flexible concept than most people realized.  “We would appreciate it if you could bring us to him.  He’s a hero, and deserves to be able to come home.

Namor smiled, and Nick couldn’t help but compare it to a shark.  “Of course,” he said, regally settling himself into the chair at the head of the table.  “I will be happy to do so once we have completed our business here.  But first, of course, we have things to discuss."  He leaned back with the air of someone who had already won a battle that hadn't even started yet.  Which was probably a fair assessment.  If Captain America really was alive out there somewhere, he'd be an incredibly valuable asset to anyone who could find him, and Nick intended to be that person.  Even if he was going to have to make concessions that would have the World Security Council screaming to have him dropped into the deepest pit they could find. 

"You, minion, fetch us some of your bagels.  We have much to discuss, and we will need sustenance.  I believe our agenda for the day includes catch limits on northern Menhaden and your plans for removing the trillions of pieces of plastic debris that have been carelessly dropped into my domain?”  Namor had mastered politics decades before Fury had even been born, and it showed.  Fuck.  


Phil, still standing in place with the same bland smile on his face, exhaled with something that sounded like a whine.  Fury could feel a headache building and started giving serious thought to retirement.  There wasn’t enough money in the world to justify this bullshit.

**Author's Note:**

> This was the original ending to Sink or Swim, but it felt more like a post-story coda than anything else. Don't worry, more about Steve's time on the island and his relationship with Sam is in the works - as always, hit me up on tumblr or in the comments if there's anything you'd like to see!


End file.
